Gout is arthritis that flares when uric acid crystals form inside a joint. It usually affects one joint at a time, and the big toe is the most common site. Calming a flare and lowering urate over the long term are two separate jobs.
0.5mg
Each colchicine tablet contains colchicine and is used for gout attacks and prevention while starting urate-lowering treatment. It comes in a single strength and various pack sizes. Each option lists its price per tablet.
Uric acid is a normal waste product; when levels run high, crystals form in a joint and cause severe pain and swelling. The kidneys clear most of it, so dehydration, certain medicines and anything else that impairs kidney clearance can allow a build-up. Red meat, shellfish and alcohol, beer especially, are purine sources, and fructose-sweetened drinks raise uric acid too. Obesity and metabolic syndrome add risk, and gout often appears alongside high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Attacks arrive suddenly, often overnight, with heat, swelling and pain sharp enough that a sheet resting on the skin is unbearable. The big toe is typical; ankles, knees and wrists are also affected. Symptoms come and go, with clear stretches between flares.
Colchicine tablets work on the inflammatory response to uric acid crystals and do not lower uric acid itself. The colchicine ingredient page gives more detail. Anti-inflammatory medicines and a short course of an oral corticosteroid are the other first-line choices. If NSAIDs and colchicine are contraindicated, not tolerated or ineffective, a corticosteroid injection into the joint or muscle is considered. Further pain-management options are listed in the catalogue. MayChemist supplies these through pharmacy partners in India, who ship to Malaysia in discreet packaging.
Allopurinol (Zyloprim, 100 mg and 300 mg tablets) is taken daily to hold uric acid below the level at which crystals form. Its ingredient page covers the medicine itself, and its catalogue uses include hyperuricaemia and uric acid nephropathy. It is prevention, not relief. Febuxostat is an alternative for people who do not tolerate allopurinol, and probenecid raises uric acid excretion through the kidneys. Diet changes support drug treatment but rarely replace it.
A first attack of a hot, red, swollen joint needs assessment, because septic arthritis has overlapping symptoms and is a medical emergency. Same-day care is needed for a very severe attack or a joint that becomes infected.
Last updated
